George T. Conway III Quotes

I'm just in an unfortunate business where if you ask me a question I have to answer it honestly and if I don't answer it truthfully then I'm not respected.

Being honest with the public is how they respect you.

There is no excuse for perjury - never, never, never. There is truth, and the truth demands respect.

When I became press secretary my father sent me a telegram and said, "Tell the truth if you can and if you can't tell the truth, don't tell a lie." That became very difficult to do.

Does an American, when he represents all Americans, have to tell the truth at any cost? The answer is yes, and the consequence of the answer is that our techniques for influencing the rest of the world cannot be rich and flexible like the techniques of our competitors. We can be dramatic, even theatrical; we can be persuasive; but the message we are telling must be true.

I would never lie about another professional.

It would be morally reprehensible not to tell the truth... Everything I have written has stood the test of time.

To spare the guilty is to injure the innocent.

There's always got to be room for what you might call benign corruption. Nobody blames a man who steals food to feed his starving children, but on the other hand, somebody who picks up a badge and takes an oath to serve and protect; we do expect a certain level of essential honesty.

I stand for judgment: answer: shall I have it?

Justice is the handmaiden of truth, and when truth dies, justice is buried with it.

My work is to be honest. My work is to try to think clearly, then have the courage to make sure that what I say is the truth.

We've learned from experience that the truth will out.

To lapse in fulness Is sorer than to lie for need, and falsehood Is worse in kings than beggars.

Put it out of the power of truth to give you an ill character. If anybody reports you not to be an honest man let your practice give him the lie.

One of the drawbacks to life is that it contains moments when one is compelled to tell the truth.

The American people can always be trusted with the information.

Every unjust act, even committed for the sake of a just cause, carries its curse with it.

Plato said that poets should be excluded from the ideal republic because they are such liars. I am a poet, and I affirm that this is true. About no subject are poets tempted to lie so much as about their own lives; I know one of them who has floated at least five versions of his autobiography, none of them true. I of course - being also a novelist - am a much more truthful person than that. But since poets lie, how can you believe me?

I think it's a sacrifice that you have to make, because you lay yourself open for people to accuse and disrespect you. But it's worth it. It's worth it because not too many people are too honest anymore.

If I told you, you might be forced to lie about it. Not that you aren't really good at it, but why put an old man in that position?

You never have to look over your shoulder when you tell the truth. You never have to remember the details, because they are what they are. And you don't have to make sure your story matches everyone else's.

The President's biggest problem right now is he's gotta tell the truth. And we've seen this in New Jersey. I've told lots of hard truths in New Jersey that people didn't necessarily agree with, but they give you credit for looking them in the eye and telling them the truth.

The task of the prophet is not to smooth things over but to make things right.

At no time did I intend to, or do I believe that I did put forward false information to the American people.